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Interview with Debbie Patch, The Office of Public Safety Fresh@News: As the second
semester moves along, do you have any safety tips for students? D.P. During this time of the year, many students get into a
comfortable mode and become less cautious with their belongings. As the
weather gets nicer, more students will begin to keep their doors open and
unlocked. We encourage students to remember some of the basic safety
tips, so they can avoid being victims to crime. For example, resident
students should not prop open the doors to the buildings, they should keep
their doors shut and locked when they are out of the room, and also they should
never leave their belongings (such as laptops and backpacks) unattended in open
areas. These are simple things that most students are already doing. Fresh@News: Often,
parents are interested in the health and safety of their students on
campus. Can you tell me a little about how the Office of Public Safety
creates a safe environment? D.P. Our department performs the daily patrol of the
campus. The goal of the department is to educate students about personal
safety and crime prevention. We have an anonymous tip line for students
who witness crimes such as vandalism on campus. The tip line has been
helpful in identifying the culprit in many cases. The Public Safety
website is a great resource for students and parents. Students can find
information and online forms on the site, in addition to the campus crime
statistics. Fresh@News: You talked about
safety in the residence halls. Does the Public Safety work with Residence
Life staff? D.P. Each year, our office works closely with the RA
staff. Currently, we are participating in the RA training for the newly
selected staff. We will continue to work with the staff throughout the
summer. During the school year, the RA is often the primary contact
person when there is a problem in the hall. The RAs work with the housing
officers that are stationed within the buildings. As I mentioned earlier,
our staff also performs daily patrol of the campus, including the residence
halls. Fresh@News: What is a
housing officer? D.P. A housing officer is actually a Public Safety officer
who monitors visitation and maintains a fixed position in the residence halls
from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., with the exception of the West Campus
apartments. Everyone who enters the building must show
identification. All of the female residence halls have housing offices.
Many of the co-ed residence halls also have housing officers. We also
have officers that patrol all of the residence halls during the evenings and on
the weekends. Fresh@News: Can you tell me
about the Wildcat shuttle? D.P. The Wildcat shuttle provides on and off campus
transportation for students. The shuttle performs an on campus loop
Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There is also a daily
shuttle off campus to places such as Rosemont Square, downtown Bryn Mawr and
Rosemont College. The shuttle runs a limited route in the evenings and on
the weekends. There is also a shuttle to the King of Prussia Mall that
also operates on Fridays and Saturdays between 6 p.m. and midnight. The
shuttle service does not operate during break periods. Students can find
the shuttle schedule on the Public Safety web site. Fresh@News: The RAD
self-defense program for women seems to be very popular. Can you tell me
more about it? D.P. RAD is an acronym for Rape Aggression
Defense. The RAD program was started by a law enforcement office who
wanted to teach women basic self-defense techniques. The techniques are
easy to remember and very practical. The RAD program at Villanova is a
series of workshops that educate women about sexual assault and teaches them
how to protect themselves. As an instructor in the program, we talk about
risk reduction and ways to avoid risks. The women leave the program
feeling empowered and are more aware of their surroundings. The program
is very effective and the participants have the opportunity to do a real life
simulation to test their knowledge. Fresh@News: It sounds
like a great opportunity for female students. Is there a cost for the
program? D.P. We ask for a $15 refundable deposit at the beginning of
the class. When the student completes the course, we will refund the
money. Fresh@News: Nine hours
seems like a big commitment for students? How is the attendance? D.P. Although it may seem like a lot of time, the
information these women learn is invaluable. We are very flexible and try
to work with the students’ schedules to find a time that works with
everyone in the class. Often, a group of friends will sign up together.
They really enjoy going through the program together practicing techniques with
one another. Fresh@News:
You’ve provided a lot of information about Public Safety. If you
had to give any advice to parents, what would you tell them? D.P. I would encourage them to communicate with their
son or daughter. For the most part, students will make smart decisions,
but an honest mistake can impact the rest of their lives. If students see
something and are afraid to report it, I hope parents will remind them about
the anonymous tip line. Lastly, I hope that parents will check out the
Public Safety web site (www.publicsafety.villanova.edu). It has a lot of
helpful information and resources. |